For its 70th anniversary, the folks at Jaguar Land Rover are refurbishing what they’re calling “the world’s most historically significant unrestored Land Rover,” and by the looks of it, the project is gonna be a doozy.
One of the three original Land Rover pre-production prototypes shown at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show, this Rover was spotted 2016 and reclaimed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Classic Works team in Coventry.
While the Classic Works team plans to completely restore the hunk of metal, they are going to do so without disturbing the pleasing patina that’s developed over the vehicle’s original light green paint job.
They’ll also do their best to ensure that features unique to the limited run of pre-production Rovers (e.g., chassis, removable rear tub, thicker alloy body panels) are preserved as much as possible.
“There is something charming about the fact that exactly 70 years ago this vehicle would have been undergoing its final adjustments before being prepared for the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show,” said JLR Classic director Tim Hannig. “Beginning its sympathetic restoration here at Classic Works, where we can ensure it’s put back together precisely as it’s meant to be, is a fitting way to start Land Rover’s 70th anniversary year.”
As you can see from the gallery above, it might be a fitting present, but it won’t be an easy one.
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